Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans. Originating in Galveston, Texas, it has been celebrated annually on June 19th in various parts of the United States since 1865. Juneteenth is typically celebrated with cookouts, reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, Music, Church Services, family reunions, and more.
Juneteenth was started 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, where President Abraham Lincoln declared that all enslaved African-Americans will be free on January 1st, 1863. Enslaved African-Americans in Galveston, Texas were the last to know that they were free. It was said that the message of freedom was delivered by Union General Gordon Granger on June 19th, which is where the celebration gets its namesake of Juneteenth. It is the combination of June and nineteenth.
On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed a bill to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
Some other names for Juneteenth are Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Black Independence Day.
